It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed when walking into a woodworking store for the first time. The seemingly endless variations of tools, the different price points, and brands eager to sell to you can be a minefield. Let’s change that.

Despite often being advertised as being ‘ready out of the box’ chisels will always benefit from further sharpening to improve their accuracy and safety. Working with a blunt chisel will not only butcher your work off the bat, but can also result in serious injury.

A chisel is one of the most widely used tools in all areas of woodworking. But there are some very simple changes, that even experienced woodworkers can make, that makes your chiselling far easier, accurate and more efficient. Learn the techniques here!

Now that your blade is sharp, it’s time to start producing those super fine shavings! To do this, we need to get your plane set up for a light, even cut that can be difficult to achieve without proper guidance. Let’s make your planing as enjoyable as it should be.

Is sharpening a plane really that different to sharpening a chisel?
Yes. Yes it is. There is one fundamental difference that sets the two processes apart. And this subtle change makes a massive difference when using the plane; as you will see later in the Online School.

Can it really be that hard to plane correctly? Well as many of my students have proven, yes it can be. Planing correctly involves a mixture of correct body positioning, balance and pressure, and even presenting the tool to the work properly. It also saves a lot of energy!

An essential skill for hand cut joinery. This lesson will teach you how to accurately start a cut, follow a line, and cut straight and square. This is where most beginners fall at the first hurdle and begin enforcing bad habits that are challenging to correct later.

Surprisingly, of all the tools that my students use, the marking gauge seems to be the one that causes the most issues to begin with. Why is this?